Method and apparatus for manufacturing cleaning member

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for manufacturing a cleaning member including a fiber bundle having an oil agent uniformly attached thereto with no irregularity, wherein a first fiber bundle fed continuously in a prescribed direction is brought into contact with a transfer roller rotated in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the first fiber bundle to transfer the oil agent applied to the surface of the transfer roller to the first fiber bundle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus formanufacturing a cleaning member including a fiber bundle with an oilagent attached thereto.

BACKGROUND ART

In a cleaning member including a fiber bundle as a substrate, a fiberbundle having an oil agent attached thereto is utilized in order toimprove dust collecting capability of the fiber bundle (see, forexample, Patent Literature 1).

On the other hand, as a method for attaching an oil agent to a fiberbundle, a method has been known in which a transfer roller rolling inthe same direction as the feeding direction of the fiber bundle isbrought into contact with the fiber bundle so as to transfer an oilagent applied on the surface of the transfer roller to the fiber bundle(see, for example, Patent Literature 2). Also, a method has been knownin which, in order to bring a fiber bundle into adequately close contactwith a transfer roller, a backup roller provided on the side of thefiber bundle opposite to the transfer roller is used to press the fiberbundle to the transfer roller (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

-   [PTL 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H05-245090-   [PTL 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H11-323718

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

However, when the transfer roller rotating in the same direction as thefeeding direction of the fiber bundle is brought into contact with thefiber bundle, it is difficult to attach the oil agent uniformly to thefiber bundle with no irregularity. On the other hand, when the backuproller is used to press the fiber bundle to the transfer roller, thefiber bundle may be wound around the backup roller and may give rise totrouble in feeding of the fiber bundle.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novelmethod and apparatus for manufacturing a cleaning member including afiber bundle having an oil agent uniformly attached thereto with noirregularity.

Solution to Problem

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present inventionprovides a method for manufacturing a cleaning member including a fiberbundle having an oil agent attached thereto, the method comprising astep of bringing the fiber bundle continuously fed in a prescribeddirection into contact with a roller rotated in a direction opposite tothe feeding direction of the fiber bundle so as to transfer the oilagent applied on the surface of the roller to the fiber bundle.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for manufacturing acleaning member including a fiber bundle having an oil agent attachedthereto, the apparatus comprising a fiber bundle feeding unit that feedsthe fiber bundle in a prescribed direction, a roller provided so as tocome into contact with the fiber bundle while being rotated in adirection opposite to the feeding direction of the fiber bundle, and anoil agent application unit that applies the oil agent to the surface ofthe roller before the roller comes into contact with the fiber bundle.

In the method and apparatus of the present invention, “a directionopposite to the feeding direction of the fiber bundle” means that thedirection of the tangential velocity of the portion of the roller incontact with the fiber bundle is opposite to the feeding direction ofthe fiber bundle.

Effect of Invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a novelmethod and apparatus for manufacturing a cleaning member including afiber bundle having an oil agent uniformly attached thereto with noirregularity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cleaning member manufacturedaccording to an embodiment of the method and apparatus of the presentinvention, and a holder to be fixed to the cleaning member;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the cleaning member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view useful for explaining the method andapparatus for manufacturing the cleaning member shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view useful for explaining anotherembodiment of the method and apparatus for manufacturing the cleaningmember shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described in detail below.

A method according to aspect 1A of the present invention is a method formanufacturing a cleaning member including a fiber bundle having an oilagent attached thereto, comprising a step of bringing the fiber bundlecontinuously fed in a prescribed direction into contact with a rollerrotated in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the fiberbundle so as to transfer the oil agent applied on the surface of theroller to the fiber bundle. By using the roller rotated in a directionopposite to the feeding direction of the fiber bundle, the oil agent isaccumulated between the fiber bundle and the roller at a positionupstream of the contact point of the fiber bundle and the roller in therotating direction of the roller, so that the oil agent can be attacheduniformly to the fiber bundle with no irregularity. Thus, in accordancewith the method according to aspect 1A, it is possible to manufacture acleaning member including a fiber bundle having an oil agent uniformlyattached thereto with no irregularity.

In the method according to aspect 1A, the fiber bundle is preferablybrought into contact with the roller while the fiber bundle is held in afloating state (aspect 2A). The term “floating state” means that, when aforce is exerted to the fiber bundle, the fiber bundle is free to bemoved in any direction of the exerted force (for example, upward,downward, to the left or to the right). For example, if, at the time ofcontact of the fiber bundle with the roller, upward pressing force isexerted to the fiber bundle by the roller, the fiber bundle is free tobe moved in upward direction, and when the force is released, it is freeto be moved downward direction. In the method according to aspect 2A, byholding the fiber bundle in floating state and bringing the fiber bundleinto contact with the roller being rotated in the direction opposite tothe feeding direction of the fiber bundle, the oil agent can be attacheduniformly to the fiber bundle with no irregularity, and unlike the casewhere a backup roller is used to press the fiber bundle against theroller, there is no risk of the fiber bundle being wound around thebackup roller and giving rise to trouble to smooth feeding of the fiberbundle. Thus, in accordance with the method according to aspect 2A, itis possible to efficiently manufacture a cleaning member including afiber bundle having an oil agent uniformly attached thereto with noirregularity.

In the method according to aspect 1A or 2A, the roller is preferably amirror surface roller (aspect 3A). In accordance with the methodaccording to aspect 3A, the fiber bundle can be prevented from beingwound around the roller, so that it is possible to efficientlymanufacture a cleaning member including a fiber bundle having an oilagent uniformly attached thereto with no irregularity.

The method according to any one of aspects 1A to 3A preferably furthercomprises a step of applying the oil agent to the surface of the rollerbefore bringing the fiber bundle into contact with the roller (aspect4A).

In the method according to aspect 4A, the oil agent is preferablyapplied to the roller by rotating the roller with a portion thereofdipped in a bath containing the oil agent (aspect 5A).

The method according to aspect 4A or 5A preferably further comprises astep of achieving a uniform thickness of the oil agent applied on thesurface of the roller before bringing the fiber bundle into contact withthe roller and after applying the oil agent to the surface of the roller(aspect 6A).

The method according to any one of aspects 1A to 6A may comprise othersteps. Other steps may be suitably selected in accordance with theconstructions of a cleaning member to be manufactured. Other steps mayinclude, for example, a step of opening the fiber bundle, a step offorming a multilayer web by stacking the opened fiber bundle on one ormore other members (for example, a belt-shaped non-woven fabric, etc.),a step of fixing (for example, heat sealing, ultrasonic sealing) thefiber bundle and other members included in the multilayer web, a step ofcutting out individual cleaning members from the multilayer web, and thelike. The method according to any one of aspects 1A to 6A may comprisesone, two or more of these steps. In this case, a step of transferringthe oil agent to the fiber bundle may be performed in any time point aslong as manufacture of a cleaning member is not impeded. For example,when the method according to any one of aspects 1A to 6A comprises astep of opening the fiber bundle, a step of transferring the oil agentto the fiber bundle may be performed during or after the step of openingthe fiber bundle.

An apparatus according to aspect 1B of the present invention is anapparatus for manufacturing a cleaning member including a fiber bundlehaving an oil agent attached thereto, comprising a fiber bundle feedingunit that feeds the fiber bundle in a prescribed direction, a rollerprovided so as to come into contact with the fiber bundle while beingrotated in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the fiberbundle, and an oil agent application unit that applies the oil agent tothe surface of the roller before the roller comes into contact with thefiber bundle. By using the roller rotated in the direction opposite tothe feeding direction of the fiber bundle, the oil agent is accumulatedbetween the fiber bundle and the roller at a position upstream of thecontact point of the fiber bundle and the roller in the rotatingdirection of the roller, so that the oil agent can be attached uniformlyto the fiber bundle with no irregularity. Therefore, with the apparatusaccording to aspect 1B, it is possible to manufacture a cleaning memberincluding a fiber bundle having an oil agent uniformly attached theretowith no irregularity.

In the apparatus according to aspect 1B, preferably, any member whichpresses the fiber bundle to the roller is not provided (aspect 2B). Inthe apparatus according to aspect 2B, since any member which presses thefiber bundle to the roller is not provided, the fiber bundle held infloating state is brought into contact with the roller rotating in thedirection opposite to the feeding direction of the fiber bundle, so thatthe oil agent can be attached uniformly to the fiber bundle with noirregularity, and unlike the case where a backup roller is used to pressthe fiber bundle against the roller, there is no risk of the fiberbundle being wound around the backup roller and giving rise to troubleto smooth feeding of the fiber bundle. Thus, with the apparatusaccording to aspect 2B, it is possible to efficiently manufacture acleaning member including a fiber bundle having an oil agent uniformlyattached thereto with no irregularity.

In the apparatus according to aspect 1B or 2B, the roller is preferablya mirror surface roller (aspect 3B). With the apparatus according toaspect 3B, it is possible to efficiently manufacture a cleaning memberincluding a fiber bundle having an oil agent uniformly attached theretowith no irregularity.

In the apparatus according to any one of aspects 1B to 3B, the oil agentapplication unit preferably applies the oil agent to the surface of theroller by rotating the roller with a portion thereof dipped in an oilagent bath (aspect 4B).

The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1B to 4B preferablyfurther comprises a blade member which scraps off an excess of the oilagent applied to the surface of the roller before bringing the fiberbundle into contact with the roller and after applying the oil agent tothe surface of the roller (aspect 5B).

The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1B to 4B preferablyfurther comprises a roll provided at a constant clearance to the rollerso as to achieve a uniform thickness of the oil agent applied to thesurface of the roller before bringing the fiber bundle into contact withthe roller and after applying the oil agent to the surface of the roller(aspect 6B).

The apparatus according to any one of aspects 1B to 6B may comprisesother constructs. Other constructs can be selected suitably inaccordance with the constructions of a cleaning member to bemanufactured. Other constructs may include, for example, an opening unitwhich opens the fiber bundle, a formation unit which forms a multilayerweb by stacking the opened fiber bundle on one, two or more members (forexample, a belt-shaped non-woven fabric, etc.), a fixing unit (forexample, heat sealing unit, ultrasonic sealing unit, etc.) which fixesthe fiber bundle to other members included in the multilayer web, and acut-out unit which cuts out individual cleaning members from themultilayer web. The apparatus according to aspects 1B to 6B may includeone, two or more of these constructs.

A cleaning member to be manufactured by the method and apparatus of thepresent invention is not particularly limited as long as it includes afiber bundle having an oil agent attached thereto. As a cleaning memberto be manufactured by the method and apparatus of the present invention,a cleaning member 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, for example, may bementioned.

Taking the case of manufacturing the cleaning member 1 as an example, anembodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention will bedescribed below.

First, based on FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaning member 1 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the cleaning member 1 and a holder15 fixed to the cleaning member 1, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along the line X-X in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showingthe cleaning member 1 shown in FIG. 1. In the description that follows,although “TOP” and “BOTTOM” in FIG. 2 may be sometimes taken as upperside and lower side, respectively, “TOP” and “BOTTOM” in FIG. 2 are usedsimply for convenience of explanation, and do not limit upper and lowerdirections of the cleaning member 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaning member 1 comprises a brush part2, a substrate sheet 12 stacked on the brush part 2, and a holding sheet13 stacked on the substrate sheet 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaning member 1 has receiving parts 14formed to receive an insertion part 16 of the holder 15 between thesubstrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3,the cleaning member 1 has two receiving parts 14 formed in order topermit the insertion part 16 having two branches. Although the number ofreceiving parts 14 is two in the present embodiment, the number ofreceiving parts 14 may be suitably modified depending on the number ofbranches of the insertion part 16. In another embodiment, the number ofreceiving parts 14 may be three or more.

As shown in FIG. 2, the brush part 2 comprises four layers of fibrousmembers consisting of a first fibrous member 3, a second fibrous member4 stacked on the lower side of the first fibrous member 3, a thirdfibrous member 5 stacked on the lower side of the second fibrous member4, and a fourth fibrous member 6 stacked on the lower side of the thirdfibrous member 5, and a sheet with slits 7 stacked on the lower side ofthe four layers of the fibrous members (on the lower side of the fourthfibrous member 6). Although the fibrous members of the brush part 2 ofthe present embodiment have four-layered structure, layered structure ofthe fibrous members may be suitably modified. In another embodiment, thelayered structure of the fibrous members may be monolayered structure,two-layered structure, or three-layered structure. In still anotherembodiment, the layered structure of the fibrous members may be astructure constructed of five or more layers. Although the brush part 2of the present embodiment comprises the sheet with slits 7, the presenceor absence of the sheet with slits 7 may be suitably chosen. Thus, inanother embodiment, the sheet with slits 7 may be omitted.

The first to the fourth fibrous members 3 to 6 are fiber bundles havingan oil agent attached thereto. The oil agent in the present embodimentis a dust-collecting oil agent (such as an oil agent containing liquidparaffin as a main component) that exhibits promoting an effect ofadsorbing dust and dirt. The amount of the oil agent per cleaning memberis usually 0.05 to 2 g/piece, preferably 0.1 to 1 g/piece, morepreferably 0.2 to 0.5 g/piece. If the amount of the oil agent is lessthan 0.05 g/piece, capability for holding dust and dirt may be lowered,and if the amount exceeds 2 g/piece, the oil agent may adhere to anobject to be cleaned (for example, furniture and the like). Componentsof the dust collecting oil agent are not particularly limited, andinclude mineral oils, synthetic oils, silicone oils, surface activeagents and the like. Mineral oils may be paraffinic hydrocarbons,naphthenic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. Synthetic oils maybe, for example, alkyl benzene oils, polyolefin oils, polyglycol oils,etc. Silicone oils may be, for example, chain dimethyl polysiloxane,ring dimethyl polysiloxane, methyl hydrodiene polysiloxane, variousmodified silicones, etc. Surface active agents may be, for example,cationic surface active agents such as quaternary ammonium salt typesurfactant, non-ionic surface active agents such as polyethylene glycoltype surfactants, polyalcohol type surfactants, etc.

If the dust collecting oil agent is an oil agent having liquid paraffinas a main component, viscosity of the oil agent is preferably in therange of 108 to 128 mm²/S. This viscosity is the viscosity as measuredby Ubbelohde method (30° C.) carried out using an Ubbelohde viscometer(defined in JIS K 2839-1980 with coefficient determined in SIS B-0017),a thermometer (as defined in JIS B7410-1982 for dynamic viscositymeasurement) and a thermostat (as defined in JIS K2283-1983).

The fiber bundle may be, for example, TOW, preferably opened TOW. Theterm “TOW” means a bundle of a large number of filaments as described inJIS L 0204-3:1998 3.1.24.

The fiber bundle may be a bundle of slit fibers (fibers formed bycutting a film in elongated form and extending them), split fibers(fibers formed by splitting an elongated film into network segments), orthe like.

As the fiber bundle, a fiber bundle composed of thermoplastic fiber,fiber bundle containing thermoplastic fiber, etc., may be mentioned. Rawmaterial of the fiber forming the fiber bundle may be, for example,polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, nylon, rayon,etc. Type of the fiber forming the fiber bundle may be, for example,single fiber, composite fiber (for example, core-sheath type compositefiber, side-by-side type composite fiber). Preferably, in view ofthermal bondability, composite fiber is core-sheath type composite fiberwith melting point of core higher than melting point of sheath.

As preferred core-sheath type composite fiber, core-sheath typecomposite fiber with core composed of polypropylene or polyethyleneterephthalate and sheath composed of polyethylene may be mentioned.

Fineness of the fiber forming the fiber bundle is preferably 1 to 50dtex, and more preferably 2 to 10 dtex. The fiber bundle may containplural types of fiber having same fineness, or may contain single orplural types of fiber having different fineness.

In the present embodiment, each fiber composing the fiber bundle isformed as crimped fiber. By forming each fiber as crimped fiber, thefiber bundle can be constructed in bulky form, and can have structuresuitable for adsorbing dust and dirt in the crimped portion. In otherembodiment, each fiber composing the fiber bundle may be formed asnon-crimped fiber.

As will be described later, the sheet with slits 7 is formed ofnon-woven fabric consisting of thermoplastic fibers (thermally bondablefibers) or non-woven fabric containing thermoplastic fibers, just likethe substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13, and is formed inrectangular shape of generally same width and generally same length asthe substrate sheet 12. The sheet with slits 7 is provided withincisions (not shown) in the shape of saw tooth at a prescribedseparation over the entire length of the sheet with slits 7. With theseincisions, reed-shaped parts having the shape of saw tooth on both edgesalong the entire length at both edges in width direction of the sheetwith slits 7 are formed (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet13 are stacked in this order on the upper side of the first fibrousmember 3 of the brush part 2, and the receiving part 14 which receivesthe insertion part 16 of the holder 15 is formed between the substratesheet 12 and the holding sheet 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 haveboth rectangular shapes, such that both sheets 12, 13 are set so as tohave same dimension in width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3),and dimension in length direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3) of thesubstrate sheet 12 is set to be larger than the holding sheet 13, andthe holding sheet 13 is stacked on the substrate sheet 12 such that bothlongitudinal ends of the substrate sheet 12 project outward by aprescribed length from both longitudinal ends of the holding sheet 13.

The substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 are formed of non-wovenfabric composed of thermoplastic fiber (heat adhesive fiber) ornon-woven fabric containing thermoplastic fiber. As the thermoplasticfiber, for example, polyethylene fiber, polyethylene terephthalatefiber, composite fiber composed of polyethylene fiber and polyethyleneterephthalate fiber, composite fiber composed of polyethylene fiber andpolypropylene fiber, and core-sheath type composite fiber with the corecomposed of polyethylene terephthalate and the sheath composed ofpolyethylene, for example, may be mentioned. Type of the non-wovenfabric may be, for example, thermal bond non-woven fabric, spunbondednon-woven fabric, spunlace non-woven fabric, etc.

In other embodiment, the substrate sheet and the holding sheet areformed of thermoplastic resin film, for example, polyethylene film,polypropylene film. In still other embodiment, the substrate sheet andthe holding sheet are formed of laminate sheet of non-woven fabric andresin film.

The substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 are melt bonded in oneunit to all layers of the brush part 2 (the first fibrous member 3, thesecond fibrous member 4, the third fibrous member 5, the fourth fibrousmember 6, and the sheet with slits 7) by a first melt bonded partforming device 158 to be described later, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3,in the cleaning member 1, a first melt bonded part 8 extending inlongitudinal direction is formed in center portion in width direction.Further, the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 are melt bondedon both sides (on the left and the right) of the first melt bonded part8 to one layer (the first fibrous member 3) by a second melt bonded partforming device 134, and two second melt bonded parts 11 are formed inlongitudinal direction in the cleaning member 1. Two second melt bondedparts 11 are intermittently formed, respectively. By fusion of the firstfibrous member 3 to the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13, thefirst fibrous member 3 follows the movement of these sheets 12, 13, sothat the brush part 2 is more easily expanded at the time of usage, andcleaning efficiency can be thereby improved.

The substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 are melt bonded to alllayers of the brush part 2 (the first fibrous member 3, the secondfibrous member 4, the third fibrous member 5, the fourth fibrous member6, and the sheet with slits 7) at the first melt bonded part 8, and arefurther melt bonded to the first fibrous member 3 of the brush part 2 atthe two second melt bonded parts 11. Thus, a pair of receiving parts 14is formed between the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 as abag-shaped space that is delimited by the first melt bonded part 8 andthe two second melt bonded parts 11, extends in longitudinal directionof the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 and opens at bothlongitudinal ends, so that the insertion part 16 of the holder 15 can beinserted in the receiving part 14.

The substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 are melt bonded to thefirst fibrous member 3 of the brush part 2 at center portion thereof bythe second melt bonded part forming device 134 to be described later,and as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of melt bonding lines 18 is formed in thecleaning member 1 at a prescribed separation in width direction of thesubstrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13, and the first melt bondedpart 8 is formed between the pair of melt bonding lines 18. The pair ofmelt bonding lines 18 is a mark for controlling the position of thefirst melt bonded part 8 in manufacture stage, and by controllingwhether or not the first melt bonded part 8 is situated between the pairof heat melt bonding lines 18, selection between defective andnon-defective product can be carried out.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, two second melt bonded parts 11 are providedintermittently in longitudinal direction of the substrate sheet 12 andthe holding sheet 13, and by engaging circular arc-shaped protrusion 16a of each insertion part 16 of the holder 15 with the non-fusion portionof the two second melt bonded parts 11, each insertion part 16 of theholder 15 is prevented from slipping out of each receiving part 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, incisions 20 a in the shape of saw tooth areprovided at a prescribed separation along longitudinal direction on bothedge portions (portions outside of two second melt bonded parts 11) inwidth direction of the substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13, andwith these incisions 20 a, plural reed-shaped parts 20 with both edgesin the shape of saw tooth are provided. In other embodiment, incisions20 a in the shape of saw tooth are provided in the substrate sheet 12and the holding sheet 13, and therefore, no reed-shaped part 20 isformed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the holder 15 has a pair of insertion parts 16 inthe shape of rectangular plate arranged in parallel to each other, apair of circular arc-shaped protrusions 16 a projecting from outer sideof both longitudinal ends of each insertion part 16, and a holder part17 integrally provided on one end of the insertion part 16, and isformed of, for example, plastic and the like.

By inserting both insertion parts 16 of the holder 15 into bothreceiving parts 14 of the cleaning member 1 and engaging the protrusions16 a with the non-fusion portion of the two second melt bonded parts 11,the cleaning member 1 is mounted to the holder 15. By holding the holderpart 17 of the holder 15 and bringing the brush part 2 into contact withthe point to be cleaned and moving it in desired direction, dust anddirt at the point to be cleaned are captured by the brush part 2 and thepoint to be cleaned is cleaned.

Next, an embodiment of the method and apparatus for manufacturing acleaning member 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view useful for explaining the method andapparatus for manufacturing a cleaning member 1, and in the presentembodiment, the apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 4 is used to carry out themethod for manufacturing the cleaning member 1 and the cleaning member 1is manufactured.

In the present embodiment, the manufacturing method for manufacturingthe cleaning member 1 comprises the following steps 1 and 2.

[Step 1] Step of manufacturing a fiber bundle having an oil agentattached thereto.[Step 2] Step of using the fiber bundle having the oil agent attachedthereto to manufacture a continuous body of cleaning members and cuttingout the cleaning member 1 from the continuous body of cleaning members.

<Step 1>

Step 1 will be described below

In the present embodiment, step 1 includes the following steps 1a and 1b

[Step 1a] Step of opening a first fiber bundle F1 to a fourth fiberbundle F4.[Step 1b] Step of applying an oil agent to the first fiber bundle F1 tothe fourth fiber bundle F4.

In the present embodiment, although step 1 includes step 1a, presence orabsence of step 1a may be suitably selected in accordance with type ofthe fiber bundle used. In other embodiment, step 1a may be omitted. Forexample, if the fiber bundle is composed of non-crimped fiber, step 1acan be omitted.

[Step 1a]

Step 1a will be described below taking a step of opening the first fiberbundle F1 as an example. Steps of opening other fiber bundles (thesecond fiber bundle F2 to the fourth fiber bundle F4) are carried out inthe same way.

The first fiber bundle F1 composed of crimped fibers is drawn outcontinuously from a storage container (not shown), and is fed to a firstnip rollers 102 a, 102 b rotating at a constant peripheral velocity V1.The first fiber bundle F1 passing past the first nip roller 102 a, 102 bis, after passing plural tension rollers 104, fed to a second niprollers 106 a, 106 b rotating at peripheral velocity V2.

The peripheral velocity V2 of the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b ishigher than the peripheral velocity V1 of the first nip rollers 102 a,102 b. Owing to this difference between the peripheral velocities,tension is imparted to the first fiber bundle F1 between the first niprollers 102 a, 102 b and the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b, and as aresult, the first fiber bundle F1 is opened.

Each tension roller 104 is formed of, for example, solid steel, and itsmass is adjusted such that significant force is required for rotation.Therefore, when the first fiber bundle F1 advances from the first niprollers 102 a, 102 b to the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b whilerotating each tension roller 104, speed of movement of the first fiberbundle F1 is not increased suddenly.

Each of the tension rollers 104 is disposed such that, in order to openthe first fiber bundle F1 slowly, the distance from the first niprollers 102 a, 102 b to the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b issufficiently long.

After passing the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b, the first fiberbundle F1 passes an air supplying device 108, and is fed to the thirdnip rollers 112 a, 112 b rotating at peripheral velocity V3. Theperipheral velocity V3 of the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b is lowerthan the peripheral velocity V2 of the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b.Owing to this difference between the peripheral velocities, tension ofthe first fiber bundle F1 is relaxed between the second nip rollers 106a, 106 b and the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b, and as a result, thefirst fiber bundle F1 is opened further and the width of the first fiberbundle F1 is increased.

While the first fiber bundle F1 is fed from the second nip rollers 106a, 106 b to the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b, air is blown to thefirst fiber bundle F1 by the air supplying device 108, and as a result,the first fiber bundle F1 is further opened.

In the present embodiment, opening of the first fiber bundle F1 ispromoted by imparting and relaxing of tension and blow of air. But, amethod for opening the fiber bundle may be suitably modified. In otherembodiment, only one of imparting and relaxing of tension and blow ofair is used. In still other embodiment, other methods of opening thefiber bundle are used in addition to imparting and relaxing of tensionand blow of air. Although, in the present embodiment, the first to thethird nip rollers are used for imparting and relaxing tension, thenumber of nip rollers may be suitably chosen. In other embodiment, inaddition to the first to the third nip rollers, other nip rollers may beused.

[Step 1b]

Step 1b will be described below taking a step of applying an oil agentto the first fiber bundle F1 as an example. Steps of applying an oilagent to other fiber bundles (the second fiber bundle F2 to the fourthfiber bundle F4) are carried out in the same way.

Step 1b is carried out using a transfer roller 110 provided between thesecond nip rollers 106 a, 106 b and the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b.Thus, in the present embodiment, step 1b is carried out between thesecond nip rollers 106 a, 106 b and the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b,that is, during step 1a. However, time for carrying out step 1b may besuitably modified. In other embodiment, step 1b is carried out afterstep 1a.

The transfer roller 110 is a roller generally used as a roll coater, andis not particularly limited as long as a film of an oil agent can beformed on the roller surface, and is preferably a mirror surface roller.If the transfer roller 110 is a mirror surface roller, the first fiberbundle F1 is prevented from winding around the transfer roller 110, anda cleaning member comprising a fiber bundle having an oil agentuniformly attached thereto can be manufactured efficiently. Rollers thatcan be used as the transfer roller 110 include, in addition to a mirrorsurface roller, a roller with surface formed of porous ceramics (forexample, a metal roller coated or vapor-deposited with porous ceramics),a roller with metal plating and satin finish on the surface, forexample.

As the diameter of the transfer roller 110 is increased, the area ofcontact with the first fiber bundle F1 is increased so that uniformityof the transferred oil agent is improved. If, however, the diameterbecomes too large, the feeding of the first fiber bundle F1 may beimpeded, and the size of the equipment also needs to be increased. Onthe other hand, as the diameter of the transfer roller 110 is decreased,the area of contact with the first fiber bundle F1 is also decreased andthe feeding of the first fiber bundle F1 is not impeded so that the sizeof the equipment can be reduced. If, however, the diameter becomes toosmall, uniformity of the transferred oil agent is lowered. Therefore,the diameter of the transfer roller 110 is suitably adjusted takingaccount of these points. The width (length in axial direction) of thetransfer roller 110 is adjusted so as to be larger than the width of thefirst fiber bundle F1 between the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b andthe third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b.

The rotational speed of the transfer roller 110 is suitably adjustedwith the feeding velocity of the first fiber bundle F1 and the diameterof the transfer roller 110 taken into account such that a film of oilagents is formed on the surface of the roller. For example, if thefeeding velocity of the first fiber bundle F1 is 5 to 100 m/min, therotational speed of the transfer roller 110 may be adjusted to 5 to 0.5rpm. In a preferred embodiment, the feeding velocity of the first fiberbundle F1 is 23.1 m/min, the diameter of the transfer roller 110 is 214mm, and the rotational speed of the transfer roller 110 is 1.375 rpm.

The transfer roller 110 is provided such that, with a driving system, itis brought into contact with the first fiber bundle F1 while beingrotated in a direction opposite to the feeding direction D1 of the firstfiber bundle F1. The expression “a direction opposite to the feedingdirection D1 of the first fiber bundle F1” means that the direction ofthe tangential velocity of the portion of the transfer roller 110contacting with the first fiber bundle F1 is opposite to the feedingdirection D1 of the first fiber bundle F1.

As shown in FIG. 4, an oil agent bath 114 is provided at a positionupstream of the contact point of the first fiber bundle F1 and thetransfer roller 110 in rotating direction of the transfer roller 110.With such construction, before a prescribed portion of the surface ofthe transfer roller 110 comes into contact with the first fiber bundleF1, an oil agent is applied to the prescribed portion.

An oil agent is contained in the oil agent bath 114. In the presentembodiment, the oil agent contained in the oil agent bath 114 is a dustcollecting oil agent (for example, an oil agent including liquidparaffin as a main component).

The amount of the oil agent contained in the oil agent bath 114 and theposition of the rotational axis of the transfer roller 110 is adjustedsuch that a portion of the transfer roller is dipped in the oil agentcontained in the oil agent bath 114. The transfer roller 110 is rotatedwith a portion thereof dipped in the oil agent bath 114 so that the oilagent is continuously applied to the surface of the transfer roller 110.The amount of the applied oil agent is adjusted such that the amount ofthe oil agent per one cleaning member is usually 0.05 to 2 g/piece,preferably 0.1 to 1 g/piece, and more preferably 0.2 to 0.5 g/piece. Ifthe dust collecting oil agent is an oil agent having liquid paraffin asa main component, the viscosity of the oil agent is preferably 108 to128 mm²/S. This viscosity is the viscosity as measured by Ubbelohdemethod (30° C.) carried out using an Ubbelohde viscometer (defined inJIS K 2839-1980 with coefficient determined in SIS B-0017), athermometer (defined in JIS B7410-1982 for dynamic viscositymeasurement) and a thermostat (defined in JIS K2283-1983).

A blade member 113 is provided at a position upstream of the contactpoint of the first fiber bundle F1 and the transfer roller 110 inrotating direction of the transfer roller 110 and downstream of theposition of the oil agent bath 114 in rotating direction of the transferroller 110 in order to scrape off an excess of the oil agent applied tothe surface of the transfer roller 110. With this construction, beforethe prescribed portion of the surface of the transfer roller 110 comesinto contact with the first fiber bundle F1 and after the oil agent isapplied to the prescribed portion, an excess of the oil agent applied tothe prescribed portion is scraped off. By scraping off an excess of theoil agent applied to the surface of the transfer roller 110, the blademember 113 achieves a uniform thickness of the oil agent applied to thesurface of the transfer roller (so as to form a thin film).

In the present embodiment, the blade member 113 is used to achieve auniform thickness of the oil agent applied to the surface of thetransfer roller 110 (so as to form a thin film), the same effect can beobtained by using other member. In other embodiment, a roll 115 may bedisposed, as shown in FIG. 5, at a position upstream of the contactpoint of the first fiber bundle F1 and the transfer roller 110 inrotating direction of the transfer roller 110 and downstream of theposition of the oil agent bath 114 in rotating direction of the transferroller 110 in order to scrape off an excess of the oil agent applied tothe surface of the transfer roller 110 in a constant clearance(separation) to the transfer roller 110. In this embodiment, as shown inFIG. 5, by rotating the transfer roller 110 and the roll 115 in oppositedirection at a position for achieving a uniform thickness of the oilagent applied to the surface of the transfer roller 110 (so as to form athin film), a uniform thickness of the oil agent 116 applied to thesurface of the transfer roller 110 can be effectively achieved (so as toform a thin film).

When the first fiber bundle F1 continuously fed by the second niprollers 106 a, 106 b and the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 b in theprescribed direction D1 comes into contact with the transfer roller 110rotated in the direction opposite to the feeding direction D1 of thefirst fiber bundle F1, the oil agent applied on the surface of thesurface of the transfer roller 110 is transferred to the first fiberbundle F1. In this manner, the first fiber bundle having the oil agentattached thereto is manufactured. The transfer roller 110 is rotatedwith a portion thereof dipped in the oil agent bath and with anotherportion thereof in contact with the first fiber bundle F1, so that theoil agent is continuously transferred to the first fiber bundle F1 thatis continuously fed in the prescribed direction D1. By using thetransfer roller 110 rotated in the direction opposite to the feedingdirection D1 of the first fiber bundle F1, the oil agent is accumulatedbetween the first fiber bundle F1 and the transfer roller 110 at aposition upstream of the contact point of the transfer roller 110 withthe first fiber bundle F1 in the rotating direction of the transferroller 110, so that the oil agent can be uniformly attached to the firstfiber bundle F1 with no irregularity.

Between the second nip rollers 106 a, 106 b and the third nip rollers112 a, 112 b, the first fiber bundle F1 is held in a floating state, andthe first fiber bundle F1 comes into contact with the transfer roller110 in floating state. The term “floating state” means that, when aforce is exerted to the first fiber bundle F1, the first fiber bundle F1is free to move in the direction of the exerted force. For example, if,when the first fiber bundle F1 comes into contact with the transferroller 110, a force is exerted by the transfer roller 110 in upwarddirection in FIG. 4, the first fiber bundle F1 is free to be moved inupward direction in FIG. 4, and when the force is released, it is freeto move in downward direction in FIG. 4.

In order to ensure the floating state of the first fiber bundle F1, nomember which presses the first fiber bundle F1 to the transfer roller110 is provided at the position of contact of the first fiber bundle F1with the transfer roller 110 on the side of the first fiber bundle F1opposite to the transfer roller 110.

By holding the first fiber bundle F1 in floating state and bringing itinto contact with the transfer roller 110 rotated in the directionopposite to the feeding direction D1 of the first fiber bundle F1, theoil agent can be uniformly attached to the first fiber bundle F1 with noirregularity, and unlike the case where a backup roller is used to pressthe first fiber bundle F1 against the transfer roller 110, there is norisk of the first fiber bundle F1 being wound around the backup rollerand impeding transport of the first fiber bundle F1. Therefore, with thepresent embodiment, a cleaning member comprising a fiber bundle havingan oil agent uniformly attached thereto with no irregularity can beefficiently manufactured.

After being processed in step 1, the first fiber bundle F1 proceeds tothe confluence point 132. Similarly, after being processed in step 1,the second fiber bundle F2 to the fourth fiber bundle F4 proceed to theconfluence points 136, 138, 140, respectively.

<Step 2>

Step 2 will be described below.

In the present embodiment, step 2 includes following steps 2a to 2 c.

[Step 2a] After being processed in step 1, the fiber bundle is stackedto other member (in the present embodiment, belt-shaped non-wovenfabric) to form multilayer web.[Step 2b] Fixing the fiber bundle to other member included in themultilayer web.[Step 2c] Cutting out individual cleaning members from the multilayerweb.

[Step 2a]

Step 2a will be described below.

In the present embodiment, other members to be stacked to the fiberbundle after being processed in step 1 are belt-shaped non-woven fabrics121, 123, 151. In other embodiment, one or two of these non-wovenfabrics are stacked to the fiber bundle after being processed in step 1.In still other embodiment, in addition to these non-woven fabrics, othernon-woven fabric is stacked to the fiber bundle that has been processedin step 1. In any of these embodiments, although the order ofsuperposition is not particularly limited, a non-woven fabric ispreferably stacked so as to be situated at the outermost position.

The non-woven fabrics 121, 123 correspond respectively to the substratesheet 12 and to the holding sheet 13. The non-woven fabric 121 iscontinuously rolled out from the non-woven fabric roll 120 and includesplural rollers disposed in two rows, upper rollers and lower rollers,and is intermittently conveyed by the roll situated in lower row passingthe dancer roller 124 swinging up and down. Similarly, the non-wovenfabric 123 is continuously rolled out from the non-woven fabric roll 122and includes plural rollers disposed in two rows, upper rollers andlower rollers, and is intermittently conveyed by the roll situated inlower row passing the dancer roller 126 swinging up and down. Theexpression “intermittently conveyed” means that each of the non-wovenfabrics 121, 123 is conveyed such that it advances for certain distance(for example, about the length in width direction of a cleaning member1) in the feeding direction and then conveyance is stopped for certaintime period, and this cycle is repeated. By conveying the non-wovenfabrics 121, 123 intermittently in this manner, time required for fusionof the constituents of the multilayer web can be ensured, as will bedescribed later.

The non-woven fabrics 121, 123 join at the confluence point 128 to formmultilayer web S1, and the multilayer web S1 passes through a gathercutter 130 having saw tooth-shaped blade (not shown) formedintermittently in circumferential direction on its surface. With thiscutter, incisions corresponding to the incisions 20 a (see FIG. 1) ofthe substrate sheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 are formed.

The multilayer web S1 joins at the confluence point 132 to the firstfiber bundle F1 that has been processed in step 1, and the first fiberbundle F1 is stacked onto the multilayer web S1 to form a multilayer webS2. At this time, the construction is such that the first fiber bundleF1 can slacken to some extent between the third nip rollers 112 a, 112 band the confluence point 132, and with such construction, same effect asprovision of a dancer roller between them can be obtained.

The multilayer web S2 successively joins at confluence points 136, 138,140 to the second fiber bundle F2 to the fourth fiber bundle F4 thathave been processed in step 1, and the second fiber bundle F2 to thefourth fiber bundle F4 are successively stacked onto the multilayer webS2 to form a multilayer web S3.

The non-woven fabric 151 corresponds to the sheet with slits 7. Thenon-woven fabric 151 is rolled out continuously from a non-woven fabricroll 150, and by passing through a dancer roller 152, is conveyedintermittently and passes through a gather roller 154. The gather roller154 has a saw tooth-shaped blade (not shown) formed continuously incircumferential direction on the surface, and with this roller, sawtooth-shaped incision (not shown) is formed in the non-woven fabric thathas passed the gather roller 154.

The non-woven fabric 151 joins at the confluence point 156 to themultilayer web S3, and the non-woven fabric 151 is stacked on themultilayer web S3 to form a multilayer web S4.

[Step 2b]

Step 2b will be described below.

Before joining to the second fiber bundle F2 to the fourth fiber bundleF4, the multilayer web S2 passes the second melt bonded part formingdevice 134. The second melt bonded part forming device 134 fuses thenon-woven fabrics 121, 123 and the first fiber bundle F1 included in themultilayer web S2 to form two second melt bonded parts 11 (see FIG. 3).Thus, the multilayer web S2 is fused through thickness direction. In thepresent embodiment, a heat sealing device is used as the second meltbonded part forming device 134. However, the second melt bonded partforming device may be suitably changed. In other embodiment, anultrasonic sealing device may be used.

The multilayer web S4 passes the first melt bonded part forming device158. The first melt bonded part forming device 158 fuses the entiremultilayer web S4 and form the first melt bonded part 8 (see FIG. 3,etc.) in the multilayer web S4. With this fusion, the multilayer web S4is fused through its thickness direction. Although, in the presentembodiment, a heat sealing device is used as the first melt bonded partforming device 154, the melt bonded part forming device may be suitablychanged. In other embodiment, an ultrasonic sealing device may be used.

[Step 2c]

Step 2c will be described below.

The multilayer web S4 passing the first melt bonded part forming device158 is cut in a cutter unit 160 and individual cleaning members 1 arecut out.

The cleaning member 1 manufactured in the present embodiment includes asheet with slits 7. However, the sheet with slits 7 is not included inthe cleaning member manufactured in other embodiment. Also, in thecleaning member 1 manufactured in the present embodiment, thecounter-insertion unit 14 is situated on the surface of the cleaningmember 1. However, in the cleaning member manufactured in otherembodiment, by changing the order of superimposition of the substratesheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 and the fibrous members 3 to 6, thecounter-insertion unit 14 is disposed between any of adjoining fibrousmembers 3 to 6. With such construction, both faces of the cleaningmember 1 can be used in cleaning. In this case, in order to facilitateinsertion of the insertion part 16 into the receiving part 14, dimensionin longitudinal direction (up-down direction in FIG. 3) of the substratesheet 12 and the holding sheet 13 is preferably larger than that of thefibrous members 3 to 6, and this dimension can be arbitrarily chosen.Also in this case, the sheet with slits 7 may or may not be used, andthe sheets with slits 7 may be disposed on both face of the cleaningmember 1.

The cleaning member illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 is an example of thecleaning members which can be produced using the method of producing acleaning member and the system of producing a cleaning member accordingto the present disclosure. The method of producing a cleaning member andthe system of producing a cleaning member according to the presentdisclosure can be used to produce a cleaning member as described in, forexample, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-296083,2003-265390, 2003-268663, 2004-223692, 2005-046645, 2005-095665,2005-111284, 2005-137929, 2005-137930, 2005-137931, 2005-144198,2005-169148, 2005-199077, 2005-230573, 2005-237975, 2006-015164,2006-034990, 2006-141483, 2007-135774, 2007-209460, 2007-209461,2007-029136, 2007-111297, 2007-135666, 2007-136156, 2007-159612,2007-236690, 2008-006260, 2008-119171, and 2007-029135, the entiredisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The method of producing a cleaning member and the system of producing acleaning member according to the present disclosure can be used toproduce a cleaning member as described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No.6,554,937B, US2002/148061A, US2003/0000934A, US2004/0149095A,US2005/0005381A, US2005/039285A, US2005/097695A, US2005/097696A,US2005/132521A, US2005/177967A, US2005/188490A, US2005/193513A,US2005/193514A, US2005/198760A, US2006/016035A, US2006/016036A,US2006/101601A, US2009/165230A and US2009/172904A, as well asUS2009/049633A, US2009/255078A and US2010/154156A, the entiredisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present application claims the benefit of the following patentapplications, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference:

(1) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289181 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(2) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289182 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(3) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289174 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(4) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289189 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(5) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289175 filed on Dec. 29, 2012,(6) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289188 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(7) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289179 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(8) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289177 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(9) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289184 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, and USpatent application claiming priority thereof,(10) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289178 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, andUS patent application claiming priority thereof,(11) JP Patent Application No. 2012-289176 filed on Dec. 29, 2012, andUS patent application claiming priority thereof,(12) JP Patent Application No. 2013-002855 filed on Jan. 10, 2013, andUS patent application claiming priority thereof, as well as(13) JP Patent Application No. 2013-002857 filed on Jan. 10, 2013, andUS patent application claiming priority thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1—cleaning member, 2—brush part, 3—first fibrous member, 4—secondfibrous member, 5—third fibrous member, 6—fourth fibrous member, 7—sheetwith slits, 8—first melt bonded part, 11—second melt bonded part,12—substrate sheet, 13—holding sheet, receiving part, 15—holder,16—insertion part, 16 a—protrusion, 17—holder part, 18—melt bondingline, 20—reed shaped part, 20 a—incision, 100—apparatus formanufacturing cleaning member, 102 a, b—first nip roller, 104—tensionroller, 106 a, b—second nip roller, 108—air supplying device,110—transfer roller, 112 a, b—third nip roller, 113—blade member,114—oil agent bath, 115—roll, 116—oil agent, 120, 122, 150—non-wovenfabric roll, 121, 123, 151—belt-shaped non-woven fabric, 124, 126,152—dancer roller, 128, 132, 136, 138, 140, 156—confluence point,130—gather cutter, 134—second melt bonded part forming device,154—gather roll, 158—first melt bonded part forming device, 160—cutterunit

1. A method for manufacturing a cleaning member including a fiber bundlehaving an oil agent attached thereto, the method comprising a step of:bringing the fiber bundle continuously fed in a prescribed directioninto contact with a roller rotated in a direction opposite to thefeeding direction of the fiber bundle so as to transfer the oil agentapplied on the surface of the roller to the fiber bundle.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundle is brought into contactwith the roller while the fiber bundle is held in a floating state. 3.The method according to claim 1, wherein the roller is a mirror surfaceroller.
 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step ofapplying the oil agent to the surface of the roller before bringing thefiber bundle into contact with the roller.
 5. The method according toclaim 4, wherein the oil agent is applied to the surface of the rollerby rotating the roller with a portion thereof being dipped in a bathcontaining the oil agent.
 6. The method according to claim 4, furthercomprising a step of achieving a uniform thickness of the oil agentapplied to the surface of the roller before bringing the fiber bundleinto contact with the roller and after applying the oil agent to thesurface of the roller.
 7. An apparatus for manufacturing a cleaningmember including a fiber bundle having an oil agent attached thereto,the apparatus comprising: a fiber bundle feeding unit that feeds thefiber bundle in a prescribed direction; a roller provided so as to comeinto contact with the fiber bundle while being rotated in a directionopposite to the feeding direction of the fiber bundle; and an oil agentapplication unit that applies the oil agent to the surface of the rollerbefore the roller comes into contact with the fiber bundle.
 8. Theapparatus according to claim 7, wherein any member which presses thefiber bundle to the roller is not provided.
 9. The apparatus accordingto claim 7, wherein the roller is a mirror surface roller.
 10. Theapparatus according to claim 7, wherein the oil agent application unitapplies the oil agent to the surface of the roller by rotating theroller with a portion thereof being dipped in a bath containing the oilagent.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising ablade member which scraps off an excess of the oil agent applied to thesurface of the roller before bringing the fiber bundle into contact withthe roller and after applying the oil agent to the surface of theroller.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising aroll provided at a certain clearance to the roller so as to achieve auniform thickness of the oil agent applied to the surface of the rollerbefore bringing the fiber bundle into contact with the roller and afterapplying the oil agent to the surface of the roller.